THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Photograph from N.S.W. Government Printer
THE RIDGEPOLE OF THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT-MOUNT KOSCIUSKO
Although only 7,330 feet high, the range is covered with snow for several months of the year and its
skiing and other snow sports attract many.
Despite protests from the New South
Wales authorities, Batman's associates and
an independent "squatter" party under
John Fawkner pitched their camps and
stayed.
Born as a pastoral enterprise and fed in
its late teens on gold nuggets, Melbourne
proved a sturdy pioneer offspring. At the
age of 16, before it went on the invigorat
ing gold diet, the town had grown to a
population of 20,000. Then came the
famous El Doradan discoveries at Castle
maine, Ballarat, and Bendigo. Into half a
dozen years was crammed the normal
growth of a generation.
STANDARD STREETS 99 FEET WIDE
For more than 40 years Melbourne out
rivaled Sydney. Today it has a popula
tion of more than a million. It has been
an abundant life for the centenarian.
Unlike Sydney, Melbourne has grown by
definite planning. Early surveyors laid out
the town's square mile with Euclidean ac-
curacy. While Sydney frets over narrow,
crooked thoroughfares, the Victorian cap
ital rejoices that its surveyor insisted on
streets 99 feet wide, a plan he succeeded in
maintaining by acceding to a number of
"little" streets, or lanes, which were to
serve as back entrances to the properties,
but have since become business channels
of importance (see page 708).
What Melbourne lacks in picturesque
ness of position, it makes up in neat order
liness.
Monotony in the business district is more
than redeemed by the charm of the out
lying parks and lovely boulevards. Tree
lined St. Kilda, across the Yarra, is an
avenue that few cities can surpass.
After youthful "flings" during the gold
rush days and land booms, Melbourne has
settled down to a comparatively sedate life
of steady progress. There is more of that
stolid English conservatism in its appear
ance and in the thought of the people than
in Sydney.
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